Sleeping-car berth.



C. BRANDT.

SLEEPING CAR BERTH.

APPLICATION HLBD Amm, 1911.

Patented Aug. 27,1912.

N ma sis:

coLuMllA PLANOGRAPM co., WAsmHuTON. D. C.

CARL BRANDT, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SLEEPING-CAR BERTI-I.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Application led August 9, 1911. Serial No. 643,119.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL BRANDT, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Jamaica Plain, in the city of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sleeping- Car Berths, of which the following descrip tion, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to berths and pertains more particularly to the combination berth and chair or seat used for example in railway sleeping cars. For example I have shown in the accompanying drawing one embodiment of which my invention is susceptible.

In the drawing: Figure'l is a plan view of a. berth embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the berth shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 8 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is an enlarged det-ail in plan of a portion of the seat shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail on substantially the same line as Fig. 3 'and Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation similar to Fig. 2 and shows the application of my invention.

It is understood herein that the terms used are employed in the description and generic sense and not for the purpose of limitation as the latter will be pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing 10 represents the side wall of a railway coach, the interior of which is provided with the usual seats 11 and 12 facing toward o-ne another so that they may be used as a bed or berth. The usual seats of this type are provided with seat cushions, back cushions and head rests each of which are independent one from the other and so arrangedk that the seat cushions may be moved forward to project over the space between the adjacentl seats 11 and 12 and meeting midway thereof form a continuation of said seats after which the back cushions are moved down and placed hori- Zontally to form the head and foot of the berth thus making one continuous upholstered section upon which is made up the usual bed on a separate mattress placed upon the seat cushions.

The upper berth of a sleeping car being attached to the sides is usually let down forming in one berth section an upper and lower berth each of which are confined to very narrow spaces and more especially the lower berth thus rendering it diiicult, hazardous and annoying to robe and disrobe within such restricted space. as no other place is provided for the convenience o-f the traveling public. As the dressing and undressing in the lower berth must be done while in an inclined position, less care can be taken with ones toilet and a great amount of time is consumed and great inconvenience suffered as the robing must be partially done within the berth and completed outside of the berth. As a usual thing it cannot be done between the edge of the berth and aisle under the cover of the usual curtains as the occupant of the berth is blocking up the aisle to a great inconvenience and danger to other travelers and to themselves and injuries have been caused by reason of this. I contemplate a berth of such character that will permit a person to stand between the seats 11 and 12 away from the aisle after the berth is made up and at the same time the said berth will be sufficiently large to accommodate two persons. Herein I preferably provide the seat cushions'15 and 16 with adjacent recesses 17 and 18 respectively at one end of said cushions. Fitting within recesses 17 and 18 are provided detachable cushions 2O and 21 to complete the outline of said seat cushions. The detachable portions 20 and 21 are provided with suitable means to interlock said detachable portions with the seat cushions. Herein for example the said detachable portions are provided at the bottom or base thereof with projections 24 and 25 interlocking with recesses in dovetail plates 26 and 27 secured tothe seat cushions 15 and 16. This will prevent the detachable portions 20 and 21 from being pushed endwise or sidewise away from their respective seat cushions when the detachable portions are supported by the said seat portions by means hereinafter described, when the berth is made up and also when the said seat cushions are on the seats before the berth is made up as a bed. This construction permits of the use of the entire berth or permits utilizing a portion of the space for dressing purposes between the aisle and the seats.

The detachable portions 2O and 21 may be supported by the seat cushions 15 and 16 by any suitable means. Herein for example, pivoted to said seat cushions are arms and 31 provided with. pivots 82 and 33 secured in any suitable manner to plates 35 and 36 secured to the seat cushions 15 and 16. Said arms are adapted to swing outward and project beneath said detachable portions 2O and 21 to support same.

To further strengthen the abovev mentioned supports and to keep the detachable portions and seat cushions interlocked the said arms may engage and hook to the hangers 38 and 39 fastened to the bottoms of the detachable portions 20 and 21 so that when the said seat cushions 15 and 16 are in use either to present for use the entire bed surface or when moved back on the seats with the seat cushions 15 and 1G, the detachable portions are securely locked to the seat cushions. Generally when the cushions are in a position to be made up as a bed a light and thin mattress is placed thereupon to effectively conceal the joints between the respective cushions and also the cushions. I-Ierein for example the said mattress 40 is adapted to fit the lower berth space in the usual manner but said mattress is provided with a recess 41 of the same contour as provided by the combined recesses 17 and 18. This may be done by cutting into the edge of the mattress at 42 and 43 to provide a portion that may be turned downward when the detachable portions 20 and 21 are removed from their respective seat cushions. The said cut portions extend from the edge of the mattress and terminate the required distance from the edge thereof thus providing a separated port-ion 45 hinged in any suitable manner at 46 to the mattress 40 so that the portion 45 may hang downward as in Fig. 5 when it is desired to use the dressing space between the berths. When the detachable portions 2O and 21 are used to form the regulation size berth they will support the portion 45 in the same plane as the rest of the mattress 40 orvwhen said removable portions 20 and 21 are detached from their respective seat cushions the part 45 will hang down between the seats.

The application and use of my invention ispas follows: Assuming that the car seats areprovided with cushions of the character hereindescribed and it is desired to make up the seats into a berth the seat cushions 15 and 16 are drawn together oit the seats until they meet in the middle between the seats 11 and 12. If the passenger desires to be provided with dressing space the porter who usually makes up the berth will reach beneath thecushion 15 and 16 and swing the arms 30 and 31 from beneath detachable portions 2O and 21 thereby permitting the said ldetachable portions to be forced downward releasing lthem from theV dovetail plates 26 and 27. Said detachableportions can be laid away under their respective seats thus providing a roomy space between the seats at one edge of the bed. The back cushion of the respective seat cushions 49 and 50 are placed into the space formerly occupied by the respective seat cushions and the mattress 40 is placed upon the berth in such manner that the portion 45 will hang downward and into the combined recesses 17 and 18 and the berth is now made up in the usual manner and the prospective occupant of the berth made be standing in the space formed by the said recesses may proceed to disrobe and after retiring if desired the detachable portions 20 and 21 may be again placed into position by the porter and securely locked as shown in Fig. 1 thus preserving the entire berth space for the use of the occupant in addition to a convenient and roomy space to stand while robing and disrobing.

I have described herein one embodiment of my invention; but it is to be understood that the latter is not essentially limited to the specific details of construction and 0rganization of said embodiment, since the same may be varied without departing from the proper scope of the claims.

Claims:

1. In combination a pair of sleeping car seats provided with detachable seat cushions and back cushions, said seat cushions having at their adjacent ends recesses, detachable cushions adapted to fit said recesses, and means on said seat cushions for securing the detachable cushions thereto in the recesses.

2. In combination a pair of sleeping car seats provided with detachable seat cushions and back cushions, said seat cushions having at their adjacent ends recesses, detachable cushions adapted to lit said recesses, means on said seat cushions for securing the detachable cushions thereto in the recesses, and means for locking said detachable cushions to said seat cushions.

3. In combination a pair of sleeping car seats having removable seat and back cushions, said seatcushions having recesses at one corner thereof, removable cushions adapted to interlock with said seat cushions at the recesses to present the continuation of said seat portion, and means for supporting said detachable portion with said seat cushion.

4. In combination a pair of adjacent sleeping car seats, removable seat and back cushions therefor, recesses at adjacent corners of said seat cushions, and detachable cushions adapted to lit said recesses.

5. In combination a pair of adjacent sleeping car seats, removable seat and back cushions therefor, recesses at adjacent corners of said seat cushions, and detachable cushions adapted to fit said recesses, and a mattress having a hinged portion to correspond with the combined recesses of the adjacent seat cushions.

6. In combination a pair of adjacent sleeping car seats, removable seat and back cushions therefor, recesses at adjacent corners of said cushions, and detachable cushions adapted to fit said recesses, and a mattress having a recess corresponding to said recesses in said seat cushions.

7. In combination a pair of sleeping car seats removable sea-t cushions including detachable portions within the adjacent edges thereof.

8. In combination a pair of adjacent sleeping car seats, removable seat and back cushions therefor, detachable portions within the edges of said seat cushions, means on said detachable portions to interlock with the seat cushion, and a swinging arm on said seat cushion adapted to be swung beneath the detachable portions to support the same.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL BRANDT.

Witnesses:

EDWIN T. LUCE, CHAS. F. RANDALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

